The subject matter described herein relates generally to wind turbines and, more particularly, to a wind turbine tower assembly and a method for assembling the same.
Many known wind turbines include a tower and a rotor mounted on the tower via a nacelle. The rotor includes a number of blades that facilitate converting wind energy into rotational energy. The rotor drives a generator through a gearbox via a rotor shaft, and the gearbox steps up the inherently low rotational speed of the rotor shaft such that the generator can convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Taller wind turbine towers have been known to facilitate generating greater Annual Energy Production (AEP) by enabling the rotor to capture more wind shear at higher altitudes. However, these taller towers have also been known to experience increased loading. As such, many taller towers have large, tubular bases configured to withstand the increased loading (e.g., tubular bases having thicker walls and/or a larger diameter), and these large, tubular bases have been known to render the tower more difficult and expensive to manufacture, transport, assemble, and maintain. As such, it would be useful to provide a wind turbine tower with a base that is configured to withstand the increased loading of taller towers, while reducing a cost associated with manufacturing, transporting, assembling, and/or maintaining the tower.